Ben Stiller in Talks to Direct Chicago

The Hollywood Reporter says that Ben Stiller is in early talks to direct The Trial of the Chicago 7, the DreamWorks project about the 1968 riots at the Democratic convention and their aftermath.

A “Chicago” gig would mark a departure for Stiller, who has directed such successful comedies as Tropic Thunder and Zoolander, but has not helmed a serious political picture of this kind before.

Stiller follows several other notables who have been associated with directing the Amblin-MacDonald/Parkes project, including Paul Greengrass, who was a candidate during the summer, and even Steven Spielberg, who at one time was considering helming the picture.

Under terms of the DreamWorks/Paramount separation agreement, DreamWorks has taken over development of the project. The company wants to put the film into production quickly.